Ontario moose hunter fined, banned for unsafe shooting

Two moose are shown standing close together in a wooded area in this stock image. (File photo/CecilieBerganStuedal/GettyImages)

An Ontario man has been fined $7,000 and received a five-year hunting ban for a moose hunting violation in northwestern Ontario.

Nickolas Caravan of Bowmanville pleaded guilty to carelessly discharging a firearm while moose hunting, the Ministry of Natural Resources explained in a recent court bulletin.

The court heard that on Oct. 16, 2023, Caravan was hunting moose along Marline Lake Road in Hippel Township, approximately 100 kilometres north of Nipigon.

Investigation revealed unsafe shooting

“An investigation revealed that Caravan discharged a high-powered rifle across and down a roadway toward a pair of moose,” said the ministry in the bulletin.

The court also heard that Caravan later fired toward a moose on top of a hill without a safe backstop, an action authorities said posed a serious risk to public safety.

Evidence in the case was obtained using the ministry’s canine unit and remotely piloted aerial surveillance unit, or drones.

Sentence and conditions imposed

In addition to the $7,000 fine and five-year hunting ban, Caravan is required to successfully complete both the Ontario Hunter Education Course and the Canadian Firearms Safety Course before reapplying for any hunting licences.

Justice of the Peace Nancy Tulloch heard the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay, on February 24, 2025.

To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, call the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.

For more information about unsolved cases, click here.

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